Montgomery Community Media

Last week I described the astounding life of Josiah Henson and the new Montgomery County Parks Museum that has just opened in his honor.  This week I will tell you how I got involved in his story, researched his family and possible links to explorer Matthew Alexander Henson, and how all this relates to the […]

After several months of delay due to the Covid pandemic, the brand-new Josiah Henson Museum in north Bethesda has just opened to the public.  It is definitely worth a visit!  The Museum tells the story of one of the most astounding and consequential persons to ever live in Montgomery County. Josiah Henson was born into […]

The Josiah Henson Museum and Park opened April 23. It walks you through the life of Henson on the North Bethesda property where he was enslaved. Born into slavery in Maryland, Henson was eventually traded to a plantation located on what is now Old Georgetown Road. He escaped with his family to Canada in 1830 […]

The Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School in Silver Spring moved closer to rid its ties with a state and county politician from the early 1900s whose company developed racially-restricted properties. During its Sept. 10 meeting, the Montgomery County Board of Education added the name of Brigadier General Charles Edward McGee of Bethesda, a retired […]

Josiah Henson Park, a 1.43-acre historic property located at 11420 Old Georgetown Road in North Bethesda, is anticipating opening in the late Fall of 2020.   Construction began on Feb. 2019 but the park has been closed since Nov. 5. The goal for the park is to become a world-class museum and education center as well as to create a […]

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 8 and people of the Jewish faith are celebrating Yom Kippur, which is known as the Day of Atonement. It’s considered the holiest day of the year for Jewish people. Here are five things to know in Montgomery County. 1. Nuts & Bolts of Starting a Business: Maryland Small Business Development […]

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 27. Here are five things to know in Montgomery County. 1. Education Budget Meeting: There will be an education budget meeting tonight at E. Brooke Lee Middle School in Silver Spring from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The meeting is hosted by Montgomery County Council Education Committee Chair Craig Rice, Montgomery County Public Schools […]

Rev. Josiah Henson was born into slavery in Charles County, Maryland around 1789. He was sold to his mother’s owner, Isaac Riley, who had a 3,500 acre plantation in what is now North Bethesda. Henson lived on the Riley plantation from 1795 until 1830. While enslaved on the Riley plantation, Henson married, had children and […]

Intended to recognize blacks’ prominent role in U.S. history, Black History Month has been nationally observed every February for over 40 years. Several Montgomery County organizations have events planned to celebrate and to educate residents. Here are some of the many Black History events that will take place throughout the county this month:  “Family Day […]

At the premier of “Josiah,” a documentary about abolitionist Josiah Henson, Catherine Leggett took part in a panel that discussed the effect Henson had on them. “What strikes me when I think about Josiah Henson is his spiritual compass, and always doing good,” Leggett said. “Holding on to the idea that good will prevail, in […]